Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi on Wednesday decided to recall the Egyptian ambassador to Israel after a series of deadly Israeli airstrikes against the Gaza Strip, said his spokesman. Morsi has decided to recall the Egyptian ambassador to Israel and asked the Foreign Ministry to summon the Israeli ambassador to Cairo, said the spokesman Yassir Ali, in a statement broadcast on state television.

Earlier, Israel has rejected an Egyptian demand to halt the raids in the Gaza Strip.

Israel sent a "clear message" to Hamas and is willing to "extend" its operation in Gaza if necessary, said Wednesday the Israeli prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu , during a televised press conference. "Today, we sent a clear message to Hamas and other terrorist organizations, and if it becomes necessary, we are ready to expand the operation," said Netanyahu, a few hours after the death of Hamas military leader Ahmad Jaabari by an air raid in Gaza .